Happier
by XBlazingVampire5X
Summary: <html><head></head>When May confides to Misty that she's in love with Ash, Misty doesn't know what to do about her own feelings for Ash. And a certain jealous grasshead changes May's feelings for good. PokeShipping and ContestShipping.</html>


**Okay, before you guys hit me around the head several times over (I mean those of you who read 'I Don't Need A Knight In Shining Armour' or 'My Heart's Desire'), please know that I am trying to work on those stories, but I'm getting serious writer's block. Everyone else's writing seems so good, that mine seems crap in comparison. That really dents your confidence. But I am persevering! Just a note though, I'm putting I Don't Need A Knight In Shining Armour on hiatus until My Heart's Desire is completed. That one has been going for ages and I need to finish it. So look out on my profile for notes about when IDNAKISA may be continued again. I'm not giving up on it forever!**

**Anyways, this story is a OneShot to give you, my dear readers, something from me while I sort out my main stories. It contains PokeShipping and ContestShipping.**

**My babbling sucks. Read the story now.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, coz if I did, Leaf would exist in the anime as the heroine and it would become a romance programme.**

"Misty...I have to tell you something."

I glanced up at May when she spoke to me, and was quite surprised to see her looking nervous yet excited, her eyes sparkling like they did when she had a secret she was going to share.

"Okay then," I replied, putting down my magazine about the new line of swimsuits and giving her my full attention. May often had interesting secrets, to say the least.

May glanced about; making sure that there was no one around. Clearly, this was a secret that was meant to stay a secret. I frowned, hoping it wasn't about someone else. The bad thing about May was that she didn't know when it wasn't okay to spread secrets.

"Promise you won't tell _anyone _what I'm about to tell you?" She pressed me, her face serious.

I laughed slightly; May in serious mode was amusing. She looked much better when she was carefree, like a certain raven-haired trainer outside the Pokémon Centre training right now. I felt my cheeks burn at the thought of him.

"Misty...the thing is, I, well, I..."

"Spit it out May, you can trust me with anything," I assured her. I was desperate to know what she was about to tell me.

"Okay, here goes," May took a deep breath and looked at me with a steady gaze. "I like Ash."

My whole world crumbled.

May liked Ash. _May _liked Ash. _MAY LIKED ASH! _What did she mean, she liked Ash. Didn't she know how much he meant to me? Well, no one knew about that... argh, because there was nothing to know! I _didn't _like him! Although...he was kinda cute. And I loved how heroic and amazing he was in his Pokémon battles, but then how pathetically _dense_ he was with...everything else. I only hit him with my mallet as a cover, secretly I found him adorable...no! I couldn't think about him in that way! Especially not now, after May had just told me _she _liked him! It...it wouldn't be fair to her. I...should give her a chance.

So why did I feel so... jealous?

Maybe I did love Ash. Maybe I was in denial.

Too late now.

That thought alone was enough to make my heart ache.

May had given me some time to process her words, though of course she had no idea how much chaos had just happened inside of me. She looked at me hopefully, like I was going to say something positive. Crap! What _was_ I going to say? 'Oh, sorry I'm not answering you May, it's just that I love Ash and now I'm seriously upset'. Yeah, right. That would only make May feel guilty. And anyone might be listening.

"Misty...I've got a favour to ask you, if you don't mind."

I was past caring. "What is it?"

"I know how close you are to Ash, so...do you think you could tell him about my feelings? You know, drop in a good word here and there, put it so that Ash, in all his density, can understand?"

I only just resisted the urge to gawp at her. She wanted me to just go up to the boy I loved and tell him all about her feelings? And put in a good word for her? Was she out of her mind? I'd go up to him and tell him about my own feelings before I told him about anyone else's.

I suddenly felt guilty. May wasn't to know I liked Ash too. After all, I'd never told anyone. Heck, I'd only just admitted it to myself. And she just felt nervous about him finding out, I'd feel the same way if I was in her position. But I wasn't, and would never be. Ash would either come out with something about him liking May too, or he'd make it up to spare her feelings. That was just the sweet thing Ash would do. Another reason why I liked him so mu-

Argh! I had to stop thinking like this! Not if May was going to be dating Ash. I felt saddened as I thought of that. It would be like the end of my dreams.

"Why can't you tell him yourself?" I questioned her, in the hope of distracting my mind from my feelings for Ash.

May shuffled about uncomfortably.

"I guess I'm just really nervous...you seem to be able to talk to him so freely."

Yeah. But not about romantic feelings!

"I thought you liked Drew." I admitted, wondering if maybe this would all be a horrible trick, and that May would confess to liking Drew and I could go back to dreaming about Ash.

May turned crimson. It would have been a funny sight if I wasn't so heartbroken. She spluttered meaningless words for a few seconds before she managed to stutter a comprehensible sentence.

"I- I d-don't l-l-like D-Drew! H-he's an a-arrogant j-jerk!"

I raised an eyebrow. That didn't sound much like she disliked him to me. But, that might just be my desperation of having an excuse to say May didn't like Ash talking.

"Okay...whatever you say." I let it drop. May clearly wasn't going to say anything more about her green-haired rival.

May seemed relieved about the change of subject. "So...you'll tell Ash for me?" She asked hopefully.

I smiled half-heartedly, but May, being the oblivious airhead that she was, didn't pick up on it. "Sure."

May clasped my hand in hers. "Oh Misty! Thank you so much! You're the best friend ever!"

With that, she skipped off, much like her usual self.

I instantly felt guilty. Why had I told her I'd tell Ash about her feelings? Why had I made her trust me like that? I...I couldn't tell Ash about her feelings. Not when doing so completely destroyed my life.

But how could I not tell him? After I'd promised May that I would...it wasn't fair if I didn't, not now.

So what was I supposed to do? Tell him? Or not tell him?

May's POV

I skipped away from Misty, feeling light and floaty. I'd finally got that burden off my chest, and Misty was going to tell Ash about my feelings, so that was another thing I didn't have to worry about. I felt good.

Well, until I saw a head of green hair disappear around a corner, and based on the speed with which the head was moving, I could only imagine that the owner was running away from somewhere.

My stomach dropped. Drew. He'd heard every word of my confession to Misty.

At first all I felt was violent rage. How dare that grasshead eavesdrop on my conversations! Then I felt freaked. Would Drew blab about my secret? Would he ruin everything? The final thing I felt was guilt. Drew wasn't the type to run from a situation like this one, and if anything he would have stayed and gloated about how he had something against me. He must have been really upset about something to run away like that.

I knew what I should do, considering what I'd just told Misty.

But inside, something made me do the opposite.

I ran after him.

XXX

I found Drew sitting outside the Pokémon centre, staring at the fountain with a glazed expression. I twiddled my thumbs nervously before taking a risk and sitting down next to him. He only slightly turned his head in my direction.

"Drew..." I started, but he cut me off.

"I don't want your pity, or your sympathy, or your 'let's talk about this' attitude, okay? I just want to be left alone."

I was startled at his outburst and slightly hurt, though I didn't show it. "Sorry...I just wanted to know what had bothered you..."

Drew sighed, like something about me was stressful. That hurt more than I wanted to admit to anyone, even myself. "Sorry May. I've just got a lot on my mind right now."

I deliberated for a bit, wondering if I should ask him or not. I decided to take a risk and ask him. "What kind of things?"

Drew looked at me carefully, like he was deciding whether or not to tell me. When his emerald eyes met mine, I felt a shiver go down my spine, and I couldn't explain why.

Eventually, Drew seemed to make a decision. "Did you really mean what you said...about liking Ash?" He asked.

Okay, that wasn't exactly what I was expecting. "Yes, I di- wait a minute!" I cried, standing up and pointing at him accusingly. "You were eavesdropping on my private conversation!"

Drew smirked and flipped his hair, looking up at me with an amused expression. "You're so loud. I'll bet most of Hoenn heard you." He continued to stare me down until I sat next to him again in a huff.

"Yes...I meant what I said." I told him, calmer this time. I shot him a sideways look, only to find him walking away from me, back towards the Pokémon Centre. "Hey!" I called, standing again. "Where are you going?"

Drew stopped, and waited for me to catch up to him. "Inside." He stated simply.

"But...we were having a serious conversation!" I protested.

Drew just shrugged. "You'll get over it. And besides, serious isn't a good look on you. You look much cuter when you're carefree."

With that, he tossed me a rose and walked away, leaving me standing there, blushing like crazy and my heart pounding overtime.

Did Drew just call me...cute?

Misty's POV

I had to make a decision. My decision had the potential to make one relationship, and break the other. What should I choose? Tell Ash about May's feelings...or tell him about my own? My choice would decide whether Ash ended up with May...or with me. My heart started beating faster just for thinking about the idea of me and Ash as a couple. It was what I'd wanted for years.

On the other hand, May was my best friend. It would be a betrayal if I didn't tell Ash about her feelings, when not only had she asked me to, but I'd sort of promised her. That wouldn't be right, and I believed in doing what was right. I continued to weigh up the options. On one hand, I could tell Ash about May's feelings for him and put them in a happy relationship, or I could tell Ash about my own feelings, selfishly ignoring May's wishes and doing things only for me.

I couldn't do that. I couldn't, I _wouldn't _be so self-obsessed. It wasn't who I was. I was better than that, and I would prove it by doing the right thing.

Too bad the right thing hurt so much.

Sighing, I got up from my seat and headed outside the Pokémon Centre, to where Ash was busy training his Turtwig. My palms began to get sweaty as I got closer, and my heart rate started to speed up. He was just so cute. I really hoped I was making the right decision by doing this.

This is for you May...it had better be worth it.

Ash glanced at me and grinned his goofy grin when I came over. It made my stomach flutter.

"Hey, Mist! What goes on?"

"Nothing, much..."

Ash stopped and turned to face me, giving me his full attention. Damn it. He knew me so well.

"Misty...what's going on?"

I looked into Ash's eyes, and knew that whatever I did now, it was all going to be better in the end. I was going to do what was right. No matter what the consequences.

"Ash...I have something to tell you..."

May's POV

I didn't know what to think. I just stood there, staring at the place where Drew had last been standing and clutching the rose tightly in my right hand. I tried to calm down my frantic heart, but so far it wasn't working very well.

What did this mean? What could possibly be the reason for me reacting in this way to Drew? Why had he seemed so bothered by the thought of me liking Ash?

I blinked, looking down at the rose. It was...what, my 19th rose for Beautifly? Wait a second...he hadn't said this rose was for Beautifly this time. He'd just given it to me. I felt my cheeks burn. Drew, the arrogant Drew Hayden, had given me a rose without saying it was for my Pokémon. So did this mean...?

I stared at the rose for a while longer, before my incredibly slow mind finally managed to make the connection.

All of those roses...they weren't for Beautifly. They were for me. Saying they were for Beautifly was just a cover he had developed so that he could protect his reputation. Only this time...he'd slipped. And because he kept giving me roses...red roses...

Oh. Of course. He liked me.

I couldn't explain the heart-warming happiness that flooded through me as I realised this. Drew Hayden liked me! Me! May Maple, his rival! I felt myself involuntarily smile.

My smile dropped when I thought about what I'd sent Misty to do...confess to Ash about my feelings for him. What was I going to do? Sure, I liked Ash, but... oh.

I liked Ash. But I loved Drew. **(A/N: That line comes from Your Love Is The Sweetest Sin, by The Legendaerie LT. I'm dedicating the ContestShipping part of this OneShot to him/her. Sorry, I don't know which one they are! And I totally just ruined the moment...read on)**

And...I'll bet Misty likes Ash. What had I done? I'd ruined her chances of being happy as well as my own, and Drew's! I had to stop Misty before she told Ash...something that just wasn't true anymore.

I ran like I'd never run before.

Misty's POV

"...May likes you." I finished, lamely. I then lowered my eyes to the ground, I didn't want to see his face as he processed the words...in case I saw something that made my heart break even more.

I waited in silence for a long time, before I eventually got the courage to look back up at Ash's face. He looked thoughtful.

"Does she really?" He said, and I could have sworn I detected humour in his voice.

"Yes," I whispered. Then it all came tumbling out. "She came up to me and told me that she liked you, and I was really shocked, and then she asked if I would tell you for her, and I asked her why she couldn't do it herself, and she said she was really nervous, and then I said that I thought she liked Drew, and she went all red and denied it, and then I agreed to tell you for her, and she left and then I came out here." I began panting. (**A/N: That was meant to be read in a really fast voice...you know, like she's babbling without taking much of a breath. Just in case you were confused.)** Ash looked at me with clear amusement now. I flushed, but felt glad that I'd edited out the parts about how chaotic I felt inside, and the internal battle I'd had with myself about whose feelings I should tell him about.

"Misty...are you nervous?" He questioned, cheerily.

I glared at him slightly. "No."

"I think you are, Misty."

I glared at him properly. "I'm not. Now, give me a reply I can take back to May."

Ash suddenly looked sad. "Misty...I can't give her a reply that will make her happy."

I blinked at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?" I asked him.

"I like May, but only as a friend, nothing more. The truth is...there's someone else I like...and to be honest I think I love her."

My heart stopped. He didn't like May as a lover! But...who was this other girl, the one he did love? Was it...me? No! Misty, don't think like that! It'll only hurt you more!

"Y-you do? Well...who is she?"

Ash shifted uncomfortably. I just continued to stare at him...losing myself in his gorgeous raven locks, and his beautiful eyes...

"Misty...it's you."

I couldn't honestly describe how I felt then. I was finally hearing the words from Ash I'd been dying to hear since I first found out I liked him, as more than a friend. Ash, dense, clumsy Ash, was finally confessing to me. I felt so happy that I would have done cartwheels, only that might have made Ash change his mind, thinking that I was crazy or something.

"Ash...I love you too."

I felt so much better. I'd finally confessed to Ash, and my heart felt light and floaty. Everything was going to be perfect now.

"MISTY!"

Or not. I'd completely forgotten about May in my own happiness. How would she react to knowing that Ash didn't like her in the way that she liked him? What would she say to me?

May hurtled to a stop in front of us, eyes wide. "Misty...please tell me you haven't told him what I wanted you to."

I was confused. I thought she wanted me to tell him.

"Um, yeah, I have. Why?"

May groaned and closed her eyes. "Coz I was an idiot, Misty. I didn't realise that the one I really liked had been there all along."

I was confused as hell, but Ash seemed to understand what she meant.

"You like Drew, don't you?" He questioned.

Oh. That explained a lot.

"I'm sorry Ash. I never meant to hurt you or anything...I just didn't realise what I wanted was already there."

Ash smiled at her. "No worries May. I don't like you in that way anyway...no offense!" He hastily held up his hands in case he needed to defend himself. "It's just that I'm in love with someone else...someone with a love of water and fiery orange hair." He grinned at me, and my face burned in embarrassment.

May sighed in relief. "I'm glad I didn't hurt your feelings because I was so confused." Then her expression turned sly. "So...you two, eh? I guessed all along, but now it's official! This is so cute! You guys look so good together!"

Ash and I flushed in embarrassment. "MAY!" We shouted together.

May laughed at our misfortune. I glared at her. I needed to find a way to get rid of her before she embarrassed us some more.

"Shouldn't you be talking to Drew...or have you already cleared things up with him?"

May's eyes widened. "No...I haven't told him the truth yet. I told him I liked Ash and he walked off...I need to tell him how I really feel, don't I?"

I smiled at her. "Hey, it worked for me, didn't it? Go for it."

May smiled back. "Thanks Misty. You're a really good friend."

Those were her parting words, and she waved at us before running off like a wild thing.

Ash turned to me.

"So...do you want to make it official?" He asked me.

"What?" I asked him in confusion.

Ash sighed. "I thought I was the dense one. I meant do you want to make 'us' official?"

I swallowed. That sounded amazing to me. "Sure."

Ash looked at me like he knew how much I really wanted it, despite my aloof answer. He just understood me that way. "Okay then...Misty, will you be my girlfriend?"

I smiled, and linked my hand with his. "Of course."

He smiled back and squeezed my hand, and together we watched the sun set. Nothing in the world could have made me happier.

May's POV

I raced through the Pokémon Centre, determined to find Drew and explain things to him. I looked everywhere, the hospital section, the rooms, the training ground, the fountain. I hoped he hadn't already left. That would just complicate things even more, and I didn't want things to be left unsaid like this.

I skidded past the rose garden for about the fifth time, when I noticed a mop of green hair. It had been camouflaged amongst all of the plants. Of course it was Drew. There was only one person with that kind of green hair.

I slowly approached him, not entirely sure how he was feeling towards me at the moment. Was he still upset about me saying that I liked Ash? I had to take a risk if I was ever going to make things right between us though, so...

"Drew?"

Drew didn't even turn his head in my direction, but he did respond. "What?"

"Listen, I have something I have to tell you, about earlier."

Drew turned to face me then, and there was something blazing in his emerald eyes that scared me.

"No, _you_ listen May. I don't want you to spin me your version of the 'let's be friends' thing. We _all_ know what that really means. I want you to just go and be happy with Ash, and forget about me."

His words stung, and I could tell it hurt him to say it too. Now was the time to set him straight.

"Drew...Ash is in love with Misty. He's going to ask her out, if he hasn't already."

Drew looked at me in surprise. "And you're okay with that?"

I looked down, before looking back at him. "Yes. Because...there's something that I have to tell you."

"Go on." I could tell Drew was curious.

"When you gave me that rose earlier...without telling me it was for Beautifly...I realised something. I realised that you liked me, as more than a friend." I paused, but he didn't deny it. "And then I knew I'd made a mistake when I'd asked Misty to tell Ash I liked him."

Drew smiled sadly and came to stand next to me. "I'll admit I was jealous when you told me that you liked Ash." Drew frowned at me. "Don't ever tell anyone that though."

I giggled slightly. "Of course not. Wouldn't want to ruin the great Drew Hayden's reputation, would we?" He rolled his eyes, but at least he was smiling. "And then...I realised that I...well, that I liked Ash, sure...but I loved you."

Drew looked at me, properly, seriously, his emerald eyes searing through me. "You love me." He said, softly, the softest I'd ever heard Drew speak. It wasn't a question.

"I love you too." He stated simply.

And then his lips were on mine. I'd never felt the way I felt then before. The feelings coursing through me were alien...but they were delicious and tantalising.

They could totally become addictive.

Kissing Drew was like heaven. His lips moved perfectly against mine, and his breath whirled into my head, making it hard to think straight. But then again, that might be because he was an amazing kisser. I tingled all the way through my body. Every nerve felt like a live wire.

I'd never been happier in my entire life.

I was in love.

**And...end.**

**That didn't turn out as well as I hoped. In fact it was kinda rubbish. Tell me what you thought! Leave a review! Or, do a good deed! Lend someone a pen! Plant a tree! Stop global warming! Or just give someone a hug!**

**That was weird. But honestly, I think it started to rush towards the end. It could have been better. I was just purely desperate to put something out there from me, to let everyone know that I wasn't dead. The only people who would know that I wasn't dead would be the people whose stories I've reviewed.**

**Which reminds me... xXFireRoseXx has written an amazing story titled 'Love Story'. It contains PokeShipping and ContestShipping, as well as OldRival Shipping and Ikari Shipping. The most recent chapter (chapter 5) was dedicated to me. So I felt that I had to mention that story here. I wasn't going to dedicate something so crap as this story to that wonderful author, so one day I'm going to write a story with those four ships in, and dedicate the whole thing to xXFireRoseXx. **

**...**

**I've bored you. Oops. Don't hate on me!**

**Till next time,**

**XBlazingVampire5X**


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